Kamlesh's killers still free, family seeks NIA probe

Uttar Pradesh police on Sunday claimed that they were ''very close'' to nabbing the killers of the Hindu Mahasabha leader Kamlesh Tewari even as the family members of the slain leader sought a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) saying that they did not have ''faith'' in the state police.

Six people have already been arrested from Surat in Gujarat, Bijnore district in UP and Nagpur in Maharashtra in connection with the murder.

The state police on Sunday said that it had identified the two assailants, who had fired on Tewari at the latter's office here on Friday. The cops recovered blood-stained saffron 'kurtas' from a hotel room, where the two had stayed.

''We are on their trail...we are very close to nabbing them,'' said a senior police official here.

The police, however, remained tight-lipped about the charge of the slain leader's family that a BJP leader had killed Tewari.

Tewari's mother had accused Shiv Kumar Gupta, a local BJP leader from Sitapur district, about 90 kilometres from here, of killing her son. Tewari and Gupta were locked in a legal battle over ownership of a temple at Mehmoodabad area in Sitapur district.

According to the sources a 'Dubai-Pakistan' has also emerged in the killing of Tewari. Sources said that one of the key conspirators Rashid Pathan, who was nabbed from Surat, had worked in Dubai in a company, which was owned by a Pakistani national. ''The conspiracy was initially hatched in Dubai,'' said a state police official here on Sunday.

The family of Tewari on Sunday met chief minister Yogi Adityanath and demanded an NIA probe into the killing. The family members also sought security for themselves.

Tewari was shot dead at latter's office in the state capital of Lucknow on Friday. According to the police two youths, who were clad in saffron, opened fire at Tewari at his office at Khursheed Bagh locality in the city killing him on the spot. The youths had entered Tewari's office on the pretext of offering him sweets.

Tewari had been known for his controversial remarks. He had been arrested earlier for his making objectionable remarks on Prophet Mohammed.